From 1730 onwards the southern part of the Trippenhuis was occupied by Elisabeth van Loon, who was married to a grandson of Louys Trip. She had the house remodelled in 1732-33 in what was then the modern style. The original entrance hall was converted into an antechamber.

Since 2001 the room has been known as the Thorbecke Room ('Thorbeckekamer') after the Dutch statesman Johan R. Thorbecke (1789-1872), a driving force behind the creation of the Dutch Constitution in 1848. Thorbecke was a member of the Royal Institute, the forerunner of the Academy, and as Minister of Home Affairs played an important role in the history of the Academy. The KNAW has founded the Thorbecke Fund for research into his life and work.